Machine for stringing tobacco-leaves.



0. 6r A. GRAF.

MACHINE FOR STRINGING TOBACCO LEAVES.

APPLIGATION FILED APR.. 13. 1910. Patented Dec. 20, 1910.

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0. t A. GRAF. MAGHINE F011 STRINGING TOBACCO LEAVES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 13. 1910. Patented Dec.26,1910.

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MACHINE FOR STRINGING TOBACCO LEAVES.

APPLICATION FILED APB..13, 1910.

Patented Dec. 20, 1910.

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OTTO GRAF AND ALFRED GRAF, OF MESSKIROH, GERMANY.

MACHINE FOR STRINGING TOBACCO-LEAVES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 20, 1910.

Application filed April 13, 1910. Serial No. 555,179.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that we, OTTO GRAF and ALFRED GRAF, subjects of the GrandDuke of Baden, both residing at Messkirch, in the Grand Dukedom ofBaden, Germany, have invented certain new and useful 1mprovements inMachines for Stringing Tobacco-Leaves; and we do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the ait to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

The pieseiit invention relates to a machine for the Stringing of tobaccoleaves upon tape or thread. The apparatus is distinguished by thearrangement that the leaves are placed side by side upon a removable pinplate, which after it has been filled is placed in the machine in whichthe leaves are held fast by the spring lid 'of the machine, and arepenetrated by means of a long needle impelled forward by means of asuitable mechanism. In this needle the Stringing thread is inserted sothat it is also drawn through on the passage of the needle, and thespring' lid is provided with pressure bearings intiuenced by springsbetween which are placed partitions provided with T-shaped slots. Thehorizontal limbs of the slots serve as a guide for the needle, while thevertical portion thereof serves to permit the Stringing thread to passthrough when the pressing lid is folded back. The needle can be formedeither as a toothed bar, in which case it is actuated by a specialbearing, or it may be formed as a smooth strip which can be rolled upona roller or unrolled from it. In order to give it the necessary strengththere is a second band rolled upon a second roller simultaneously withthe needle, which second band is fixed at one end to the needle roll andat the other end to an auxiliary roll. The pin plate may be covered withan elastic rubber plate in order to prevent any damage of the tobaccoleaves laid upon it, and these leaves may be temporarily held until thepin plate is removed into the machine by means of a wood lath pivoted tothe plate.

In the accompanying drawing a machine of the kind described isillustrated in Figures 1 to 8 as follows:

Fig. 1 shows a front elevation of the machine having the portion of thepressing lid at the left side open. Fig. 2 shows a view from above, Fig.3 a section, Fig. 4 a portion of the interchangeable pin plate in planView and in sectional elevation. Fig. 5 shows the modification of thepin plate provided with rubber in plan view and two cross sections. Fig.6 shows the front elevation of the machine with the needle formed as aspring band, the driving wheels being supposed removed. Fig. 7 is a planview, and Fig. S an end View of the same mechamsm.

The machine frame 2 provided with fixing screws l supports the mechanismfor the piercing needle 3. This mechanism consists of the cone wheel 5connected to the driving handle l and engaging with the other cone wheel6, which latter is keyed upon a shaft 7 supported in the machine frame2. Upon this shaft 7 are placed two further cone wheels 8, which are inengagement with the cone wheels 9 supported on the frame 2. Upon thevertical axles of these wheels 9 are placed a pair of gear wheels 10which engage with the needle 3 formed as a toothed rac r.

The tobacco-leaf support consists of the following parts: Upon themachine frame 2 the pin plate 11 is mounted removably and arranged toreceive the tobacco leaves. The support 12 of the pin plate 11 can beadjusted to the right height by means of the set screws 13. rIhe pins141 fixed in the pin plate 11 prevent any sidewise motion of the leavesbecause these latter are spitted upon the pins 14. The pin plate 11itself possesses cavities 15 at predetermined distances apart, whichcavities are designed to receive the free ends of the partitions 16,which latter aie fastened in the pressing lid 17. This pressing lid 17is pivotally connected in the machine frame 2 by means of arms 1S, 19fixed respectively to the machine frame and to the pressing lid 17.Between the partitions 16 are provided on the pressing lid 17 bearingsor yielding clamps 2O which lit upon pins 21 lixed in the pressing lid,on which pins spiral springs 22 are provided. Moreover hooks 23 arefastened upon the machine frame 2 in which-catches 24 engage when thepressure lid is turned down, said catches being fixed under springpressure upon the arms 18 of the pressure lid 17. The partitions 16 inthe pressure lid possess T-shaped slots 25, the horizontal limbs ofwhich serve as needle guides, while the vertical limbs of err; 979,287'

the slots are intended to allow the Stringing thread to pass throughwhen the lid is raised..

rl`he sti-olie ot the needle il 'formed as a toothed rack deterniii'iedby the adjustable controlling device '26, by which a further turning ol'the mechanism to either side is prevented.

lWhen the needle is formed as a steel strip, as shown in Figs. (3, E andS, the cone gearings are done away with, and in place thereof tvfo rolls27 and 2S placed vertically one above the other are coupled together bymeans oli a lgearing 2), BO. Upon the one 2T of these rolls, the needleformed as a steel strip 3l is attached at one end, and at the same timea second strip 3Q which is attached at its other end to the roll Thisstrip is arranged to pass over the rolls 27, QS in such a manner thatupon the rotation thereof it is unn'ound 'from the one and coiled uponthe other. This strip consequently serves` as. a Vfriction band for theneedle strip ill and causes its motion. le hind this gearing and inadvance of the tobaceo-leal3 support there is placed a preliminary guidetor the needle band 3l upon the machine frame.

ln order to prevent any damage to the tobacco leaves before they arethreaded, the pin plate ll is preferably provided with a hollow rubberplate 53d through which the pins let project'. 0n the pin plate ll ispivl l l l Lt l oted a wooden lath or strip 35, which can be -foldeddown upon the riiibber plate 531i, so thatthe tobacco leaves after beingarranged are held :tast before the pin plate is placed in the machine.Thereby the strip is )revented trom becoming` disarranged or displaced.

lllhat We Claim and Letters Patent is:

1.111 a machine for Stringing tobacco leaves, a pin-plate, and anelastic plate ardesire to secure by ranged over the saine and forming ayieldin` support for the tobacco leaves, in Combination, with a pivotedstrip arranged to be Jfolded down on the leaves, and to serve to holdsaid leaves against the yielding support.

2. ln a machine for stringing tobacco leaves, a removable pin-plate7 andan elastic plate arranged over the same and forming a yielding);`support- 'lfor the tobacco leaves, in combination, with a pivoted striparranged to be folded doivn on the leaves, and to serve to hold saidleaves against the yielding` support.

ln testimony whereof We hereunto atix our signatures in the presence oftwo \vit nesses,

GTT@ GRAF. ALFRED GRAF.

lWitnesses Anoia? LEBHERT, ERNEST ENTENMANN.

